1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to magnets and, more specifically, to an apparatus providing means for organizing magnetic objects such as paper clips and needles accessible within a workstation area without being within the motor path of the work being performed, such as sewing machine needles being attached to an accessible portion of a sewing machine without being within the normal path of hand movement. The apparatus is comprised of a pliable planar magnetic substance having an adhesive layer whereby the magnetic apparatus can be selectively positioned or repositioned on any vertical, horizontal or curved magnetic and/or non-magnetic surface.
The purpose of the invention is to provide access to small metallic objects without having dedicated containers for said metallic objects such as paper clip containers. Most paper clip containers require some type of ballast to overcome the magnetic force as paper clips are removed from the containers. The present invention is fixedly positioned to an object by adhesive means whereby clips or other small metallic objects can be easily removed using one hand which is not the case with some paper clip containers that require the user to hold onto the container while removing clips.
The present invention provides an additional element in the form of a border projecting upward along the periphery edge of said magnetic apparatus whereby the small metallic objects will be magnetically held angularly to the magnetic planar surface.
Furthermore, the present invention provides an additional attachment element in the form of mating hook and loop material. One mating member of the hook and loop material is bonded to the planar magnetic substance, while the other mating member has an adhesive layer covered by a removable protective element whereby removal of the adhesive protective element provides means for selective attachment to any metallic or non-metallic surface.
In addition, the magnetic apparatus can have indicia imprinted on or attached to the upper planar magnetic surface serving the function of advertisement or may be comprised of a company logo.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other magnetic device designed for holding magnetic objects. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 4,427,960 issued to Wuerfel on Jan. 24, 1984.
Another patent was issued to Miller on Oct. 5, 1993 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,336. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,904 was issued to Rood on Aug. 27, 1996. Another was issued to Stone on Oct. 28, 1997 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,709. Another was issued on Nov. 16, 1999 to Johnson as U.S. Pat. No. 5,983,537 and still yet another was issued on Jul. 6, 1999 to Schonberger as U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,400.
A magnetic holder for paper clips or other small magnetically attractable articles comprises a base magnet with a permanently polarized top face of one magnetic polarity, a non-magnetic guide post extending up from the center of the base magnet, and a floating magnet with a central opening which loosely receives the post and a permanently polarized bottom face of the same magnetic polarity as the top face of the base magnet.
A magnetic holder has a movable body made of a material upon which a magnet can function. The movable body is attached at its center to the center of the upper surface of the magnet. The lower surface of the magnet can be attached to any surface upon which a magnet can function. The surface of the movable body which faces the magnet is divided into sections radially centering on the center point of that surface. When the movable body is caused to move so that one of its sections is attached to the magnet by magnetic force the other sections are separated from the upper surface of the magnet. Paper is held to the surface upon which the magnetic holder is placed by the clipping part on the end of the section of the movable body which is attached to the magnet. This magnetic holder allows papers to be held to and removed from the appropriate surface easily and without danger of the magnetic holder being dropped from said surface during operation. Furthermore the requirement of only one relatively week magnet reduces the cost of production of this one-touch magnetic holder.
A magnetic device that may be used for storing and dispensing paper clips, and the like, and which may also be used as an amusement or novelty product. A plastic housing houses a bar magnet with the poles arranged vertically. The bar magnet is positioned near but spaced from the upper surface of the housing by a spacer disc made of magnetizable material. The spacer disc has a central opening, above which opening, on the housing""s upper surface, magnetic lines of induction are produced that tend to orient a paper clip, or the like, vertically on end and which also allow for prolonged gyratory motion of the paper clip about the end. A plastic, transparent casing may be provided housing iron powder or tiny magnet bits of different shape, which casing is slidably and rotatably mounted with respect to the upper surface of the housing, so that, as the casing is slid or rotated, different patterns are formed in kaleidoscope-fashion.
A clip container comprising a casing mounted on a base for holding clips. The casing has an annular top edge around the periphery thereof and an inner concave surface portion for holding clips. The concave surface portion has a hollow, conical projection at its center. The base has a raised wall around the periphery and a post at the center respectively for supporting the annular top edge and the hollow, conical projection. Magnetic elements are mounted on the top edge of the raised wall and the hollow, conical projection to attract clips to the annular top edge or the hollow, conical projection for easy grasping.
A binder clip includes a clamping element, a pair of opposed gripping means which when compressed open and close the clamping element and sleeves covering the opposed gripping means, the improvement comprising a sleeve of soft pliable plastic having an aperture for inserting over the opposed gripping means and a magnetic component located within at least one of the sleeves, and for use for holding the element to a metallic surface.
A catcher for catching items such as pens, coins, lipsticks and crayons which may have inadvertently been left in clothing placed in a clothes dryer. The catcher comprises an elongate tray mountable to the interior surface of the door or other stationary surfaces within the dryer. The tray may be integrally formed as part of the dryer such as on the interior surface of the door or may be detachably secured by brackets, adhesives or magnetic securement devices. The tray may include a removable liner. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the tray has a funnel-like configuration which communicates with a discharge conduit to transfer items to a receptacle exterior of the drying chamber.
A device for properly aligning and registering a display panel onto an adhesive backing panel to create a display article is provided, as well as a method and kit for such registration. The alignment device comprises a base having two wall portions which define an area within the base that is geometrically congruent to the display and backing panels. The wall portions are skewed with respect to one another, defining limit stops against which the display and backing panels can be placed to inhibit their movement and enable proper registration. The alignment device is preferably made out of a unitary construction of plastic, with the base having an arcuate cut-out along its perimeter. A method for registering the display panel on the backing to create a display article provides for proper placement of the panels into the alignment device. A kit includes a plurality of backing panels with adhesive layers, and an alignment device. Backing panels may include a removable protective sheet on the adhesive layer and a magnetic strip.
A novel card device which may be supported on a refrigerator or other metallic objects by magnetic coupling thereto. The card device is preferably made in the form of a mailable postcard or otherwise a greeting card or an announcement card. In the case of an announcement card and postcard, a single substrate is employed and a magnetic film is adhesively secured to an upper face of the substrate. A second substrate or otherwise a portion of the first substrate may be folded over and placed facewise upon the second substrate and adhesively secured thereto. The magnetic film is thereby captured between the two plies. In the preparation of a greeting card, a substrate may be folded into three different panels with one panel being folded over the next adjacent panel and attached thereto with a magnetic film secured therebetween, again usually by adhesives. A message may be then presented on any of the exposed faces of the panels. In addition, individual strips of the magnetic film may be employed.
A kit and a method of use of the kit for applying a full magnet backing to a photograph. The kit includes a mask with a first side with a cutout through it and a second side with either a cutout through it or an applied border outline on a then transparent second side. The border of the cutout in the second side or the applied on border of the second side overlying the border outline of the cutout in the first side. A magnet card of the size and shape of the cutout in the first side has adhesive on one surface thereof and is applied to the rear of the photograph held between the sides of the mask. The photograph is then trimmed to the edges of the magnet card.
While these magnetic devices may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.
The present invention discloses an apparatus providing means for organizing magnetic objects such as paper clips and needles accessible within a workstation area without being within the motor path of the work being performed, such as sewing machine needles being attached to an accessible portion of a sewing machine without being within the normal path of hand movement. The apparatus is comprised of a pliable planar magnetic layer having a top and bottom adhesive layers whereby the magnetic apparatus can be selectively positioned or repositioned on any vertical, horizontal or curved magnetic and/or non-magnetic surface. A protective element covers the bottom adhesive layer and a top layer may be provided having an indicia thereon, such as the company logo. A raised border may also be provided around the periphery of the apparatus.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a relocatable magnetic apparatus for holding small metal objects.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic apparatus comprising a substantially pliable planar magnetic substance.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic apparatus having means for attaching said magnetic apparatus to any horizontal, vertical, or curved magnetic or non-magnetic surface.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic apparatus having an adhesive layer for selectively positioning said magnetic apparatus to a metallic or non-metallic surface.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic apparatus having an additional element in the form of a protruding border positioned along the periphery of the planar magnetic substance.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic apparatus having an additional element in the form of mating hook and loop material as means of attachment wherein one member of hook and loop material is bonded to the planar magnetic substance and the mating member has an adhesive layer for attachment to a predetermined metallic or non-metallic surface.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic apparatus having indicia imprinted on or attached to the upper planar magnetic surface that may serve as an advertisement or comprised of a company logo.
Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a magnetic apparatus providing means for organizing magnetic objects such as paper clips and needles accessible within a workstation area. The magnetic apparatus is comprised of a pliable planar magnetic substance having means for selectively attaching said magnetic apparatus to any vertical, horizontal or curved magnetic and/or non-magnetic surface.
An additional element in the form of a border projecting upward along the periphery edge of said magnetic apparatus whereby the small metallic objects will be magnetically held angularly to the magnetic planar surface.
Furthermore, the present invention provides an additional attachment element in the form of mating hook and loop material. One mating member of the hook and loop material is bonded to the planar magnetic substance, while the other mating member has an adhesive layer covered by a removable protective element whereby removal of the adhesive protective element provides means for selective attachment to any metallic or non-metallic surface.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.
The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.